EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
Notice under The Local Authorities
(Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information)
(England) Regulations 2012
Not before 17 January 2022
the County Councils Director of Public Health will consider the following item: Covid Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) Temporary Accommodation for Rough Sleepers.
The purpose of the item is:
To seek approval from the Director of Public Health (by delegated authority) to support a proposal to access COMF funding to provide temporary accommodation for former rough sleepers, with ongoing support provided by the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI).
Under the requirements of Regulation 9 of The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 the Council is required to give 28 days’ notice of a key decision identified within the scope of these regulations. It is considered that item referred to above would be a key decision and for the reasons of urgency outlined below, compliance is considered impracticable, and an exception to Regulation 9 is therefore sought under Regulation 10 of the above Regulations. It is considered impracticable to comply with the requirements of The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 because:
A decision is required as soon as possible as the Borough and District Councils Housing teams received a funding shortfall from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for accommodating people who had been rough sleepers and who are not owed a Statutory Housing Duty. The Covid pandemic and Everybody In mandate requests that all people who are rough sleepers to be offered accommodation. During the winter months traditional night shelters will not be opening due to the risk of Covid. The funding is required as soon as possible to enable the Borough and District Councils to continue the offer of accommodation to vulnerable people who would otherwise be rough sleepers, until March 2022, when the next funding allocation is provided. The local authorities have seen a rise in demand for their homelessness services since the lifting of the moratorium on evictions and are unable to meet the shortfall from their own resources.
Accordingly a copy of this notice shall be available pursuant to Regulation 5(6) for at least 5 clear days prior to .
Date: 7 January 2022